Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-13
TARIFF REFORM.
MEETING OF FREE TRADERS IN NEW
YORK CITY.
Cor gTess Condemned for Not Considering
the Morrison Bill-speech by gditor
Dawson, Of Charleston, SC,
and Others.
LHy teleernh 70 the pI.paton.l


form meeting under the auspices OF the
Fret rade Club OF New York was held
tonight &C Cooper Union Hall. which was
filed. Sir. Everett =. Wheeler called the
mteiine 10 order, and presented Jackson
:. SCHULTZ Us chairman OF the meeting.
RESOLUTIONS were presented and adopted.
they arrsigned Congress for refusing 10
consider the Morrison bill; condemned it,
opponents and praised It, advocates. PresI-
dent CleI Gland and secretary Mining
Eefc landed for their " statesm nike mln-
ntr" q prC.enting the question 10 Con-
Qre.s and 1.-THE country, and said tie In.
dustrios most needed the removal OF the
tariff from raw materials, which tarih
pfryeptcd. American hborers from CONF
reting on even terms with those abroad.
The pTotectionst scheme 90 check sur
Plus by restrictions and a reduction OF the
mierBsl-feyenue taxes on liquor and to-
bacco was an unjust evasion OF the tlrif
question, which would relieve the people
Of none 81 the burdens under which they
now labor. The alternative proposition
,dvanced by the Pr0tectiOnists 20 add sugar
alone 10 the free list should be condemned
now n subtle design TO block the
way to the free admission Of raw
materials. The wages OF American
labor were in no wise increased
bv the tariff. The high wages paid were
cue to superior efficiency. Congress
having refused h consider the general act,
The friends OF tarin reform should submit
specific bills, and il those fail the President
should call together in special session the
Fuleth Congress 10 effect the reforms
which President Cle leland has so ably ad.
yocated.
Chairman Schultz then introduced E1i-
tor +. W. Dawson, Of the Charleston &. c.
Nf1rs and Courier. Mr.. Dawson was re-
ceiyed with rounds Of applause. In step
pirg to the pl,tform he said:
This is the fr,t time in my
life I ever had the pleasure OF addressing
.uch an audience north OF the Potomac. !.
have come here at loss Of time and some
Inconvenience to tell you that the people
Of South Carolina are united With you to do
somcfbingto reduce the cost OF living. The
whole people Of the South do not realize
that what i keeping them poor is the en0r-
morl, burden of taxation. The poor farmer
81 the South, who Is dependent almost en-
tireIy upon bis labor for existence. il pow
eIlcss to FIX the price OF his product because
il /. settled by the large markets here and
abroad. and when it comes back to him
IN the shape Of sheet for his bed, dress
for lis wife, or spool OF thread, he finds
that il has doubled ITS value, because he
* not in a pOsuion TO weave or manufac-
iure If himself. some think that the cause
of the great poverty Of thc South Is due to
81 rckcllious feeling among the pe0ple-an
,rstbv, II NAV 80 call II, TO return to tue
Way. Of peace. God know one revolution
in a generation Is quite enough. The
farmers Of the South are NOT rcbelliOus.
All tbey want is that taxes be so
re.uced as to allow them to live.
Ycu can scarcely credit the fact that our
moor farmers pay from 80 70 40 per cent.
pcr annum for their money. | know here
IN thi, great city you have whit Is termed
i " soteezev in financial matters, but
nothing ike the continued "squeeze" that
lie formers Of the South have TO continu'
.i,v Il Acr. II j., therefore, necessity not
-riy for the south, but for the North, that
.,mcfhing should be done 10 alleviate the
rrndition Of this indissOlubie union ofthe
.taies-that magnificent diadem OF the
world, with not one star missing. Thep %
,ie OF the south 90 not see the necessity
= ireakneck speed in paying of the na-
uonaI debt. If The one hundred million Of
Carolina we could get along in spite OF cy-
clones, earthquakes, and other little annoy
onces, The remedies proposed by the pro-
lcctiCnIsts remind one Of an old Nursery
rhyme that said:
There was a man I'm oar town
Who was 30 wOndrOus wise,
lie Jumped into brier-bush
and scratched out both his eyes.
In other words. il il somewhat similar 10 the
different orders OF mediciue-hOmpOpathlc
aLdsllopathic. The doctors OF the former ar
cue that what generates disease will cure
a disease: that like cures like. The latter
are Of the opinion that in order 10 cure one
disease you must get up counter disease.
- with the protectionist-that ii ilule
protection made MS sick, little more pro-
lection will make us well. Laughter
OF what earthly use t. the general
community Is a reduction OF the inter-
nal tx on liquors aud tobacco /:
We went no War.taXes. With these
100 exceptions the import duties are
iust as high a. ever. II cleanliness be
next to gOdliness, why should you pay a.
much for three cakes Of soap n yOu ought
10 get five for Why pay Sl.,j instead Of
3 Tor stockings for yolr family il Il were
not for the enormous taxes levied on IN
polted gOOd>y Compare the taxes on
the greater part OF our imports with
nat on liquors and tobacco, and yvu
will perceive q great difference. Why
l,suCr or tobacco are not by any mean,
necessities OF lie, a. any mon WhOcm rcgu-
late bImsClf well knows and IN relation 10
the tax on those commodities, II put TO the
vote Of these ladies present, WHO have
IGNORED us with their presence, ! think |
can cue, very closely what would be the re-
,ut. II ha, been SAID that IL ans change,
such as free trade, were made, that Viz
ciuia would rot remain in the Democratic
party. | am, and Away, have been, Demo
crat. and do not wish that Grover Clcyc-
knd will / c the last Democratic Precedent
/ shall see in the presidential chair I;
but ! do say that great as has been Viz
eina's hCrOism, great as has been her sacr-
fees, | say let her 90 In peace. No Com
monwealth or group OF COmmOnwealihs
can be allowed TO perpctuite wrong TO
the American people. [Wild cheers.l 1t
j., | know, an impossible task TO break
down the protecliOuist theory in bulk, no
more thansyou can break bundle Of sticks.
but we can, by taking them in detail, soon
manage TO have the laws amended for the
benefit az the whole. The first matter
would suggest would be tax on raS nate
nal. Whv, in Alabama and Tennessee
,ou can find iron and limestone side by
side. lust the same as IL capenter, going
through his shop, found all his boards
glqped. or the bricklayer found store Of
bricks and mortar ready to his hand, or. u
NAV be allowed TO say TO our learned breth-
ron Of the law, II, after buying lot Of books,
flfV found a lot OF clients at the same time.
sSy for this reason ii is unjust to give an
advantage Of S40,G00,0 600 year to Penn
sylvauIa over Alabama or Tennessee
through differences in taxation. No matter
what may be said by any newspaper; no
matter what may be urged by any party or
partiCs, desire 10 tell you that the South l.
entirely opposed to the slavery OF labor.
But we DO not want the ca.t-oi clothing OF
another state. Slavery itself is dead. 1t
would have abolished itself in time, and
! tell YOU the South would not have II
sgam at any price. Continuous cheers ]
/ am, above all things, proud OF being an
American citizen, although at one time
did not think 50. and did my best
for four years not 10 be. | am
like an old soldier who was shot three
times and starved at Lookout mountain.
But now am there, mean to stay there,
and tell you the South will not stand 10y
and see the American people slaughtered
10 make a southern holiday on the taxation
question. | must now say what | have
been wanting 10 tell yOu-that il one shadow
OF revenge, that il OHe single feeling OF re-
sentiment, fingers in the breast OF single
man. woman, or child In the south: II